Defined by its spectacular and diverse terrain from the rugged Rocky Mountains to the endless Great Plains, Montana is home to some of the most breathtaking landscapes, national reserves, and state parks in the country.
Aptly named ‘Big Sky Country,’ the western state features a wealth of national reserves and state parks that offer all types of camping from primitive tents to RV and equestrian camps with corrals. Here are some of the best campgrounds, recreation areas, and RV parks in Montana to experience the beauty and tranquility of Montana’s untamed terrain.
Montana is home to some of the most breathtaking landscapes in the country.
Big Arm / Flathead Lake State Park
Nestled on the southwest shore of Flathead Lake, the Big Arm Unit Campground in Flathead Lake State Park offers 40 campsites and three yurts situated along the shoreline and boasting spectacular views of the Mission Mountains.
The RV campsite has restrooms with showers, flushing toilets, and washing-up facilities, and popular activities in the area include swimming, boating, fishing, hiking, and mountain biking on the many trails in the area. It is also a popular spot to launch boats for trips to Wild Horse Island.
The campsite is situated at the southern end of Flathead Lake, which is based on the Flathead Indian Reservation, so Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribe fishing licenses are required to fish in the lake.
Big Arm Unit – Flathead Lake State Park, 28031 Big Arm State Park Road, Big Arm, MT 59910.
Flathead Lake – rocks and kayakers by m01229 / WikiCommons / CC BY-SA 2.0.
Finley Point Campground
Located on the south end of Flathead Lake, Finley Point Campground is a shady campground surrounded by a mature Ponderosa pine forest with 16 RV campsites, two primitive walk-in campsites, and four boat camping slips with water and electric hookups.
All campsites have picnic tables and fire rings, and campground amenities include comfort stations with hot showers and vault toilets, a marina with 16 boat slips, a boat ramp, a boat sewage dump, and a day-use picnic area.
Finley Point offers a wealth of recreational activities, including hiking, mountain biking, boating, paddling, canoeing, fishing, swimming, and wildlife watching. Close to the park, visitors can enjoy golf, dining out, shopping, and other forms of entertainment.
31453 S Finley Point Rd, Polson, MT 59860, United States, Phone: +1 406-887-2715
Camp on Bird Island, Flathead Lake, Montana by Troy Smith / Flickr / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
Lewis & Clark Caverns State Park
Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park is a state park in southeastern Jefferson County that is named for its primary feature – the namesake limestone caverns.
Montana’s first and best-known state park was established to showcase the spectacular limestone caverns, which are naturally air-conditioned and lined with massive columns, helictites, stalactites, and stalagmites.
The park is also home to a new visitor’s center with an amphitheater, a large campground with overnight cabins, a tipi, and showers that are open year-round, picnic areas, and several hiking trails. Amenities and services in the park include mountain biking, fishing, guided and self-guided interpretive nature walks, and bird and wildlife watching.
Whitehall, MT 59759, Phone: 406-287-3541
Lewis and Clark Caverns, Montana by Troy Smith / Flickr / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
Logan State Park
Nestled on the north shore of Middle Thompson Lake, Logan State Park is a public recreation area encompassing 17 acres between Libby and Kalispell that offers a wealth of outdoor activities.
Situated within the 3,000-acre Thompson Chain of Lakes State Park, Logan State Park features spectacular forests of ponderosa pine, Douglas-fir, western larch, and the Upper, Middle, and Lower Thompson lakes offer boating, and fishing, swimming, and water-skiing.
Logan State Park has a campground with sites for tents, vans, trailers, and RVs with picnic tables, fire rings, restrooms with hot showers and vault toilets, and potable water. There is also a dump station, an information station, and several day-use picnic areas.
U.S. Hwy 2 W, Kalispell, MT 59901, United States, Phone: +1 406-752-5501
Logan State Park is set on the shores of the 3,000-acre Thompson Chain of Lakes State Park and boasts spectacular forests and a wealth of outdoor activities. Kids swim in Middle Thompson Lake, Logan campground by spelio / Flickr / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
Placid Lake State Park
Spread over 31 acres along the eastern edge of Lake Placid, Placid Lake State Park is a public recreation area 28 miles northeast of Missoula that is renowned for its spectacular natural beauty, world-class trout fishing, and diverse variety of wildlife and wealth of recreational activities.
Placid Lake State Park has 40 campsites, including 17 with electricity hookups, as well as a hike-bike camping site equipped with bicycle racks that accommodate nine tents and has bear-resistant food lockers, fire rings, and potable water, and a covered shelter with picnic table and electrical outlets.
Recreational activities include fishing, swimming, canoeing, boating, bird-watching, kayaking, picnicking, and water-skiing.
5001 N Placid Lake Rd, Seeley Lake, MT 59868, United States, Phone: +1 406-677-6804, http://stateparks.mt.gov/placid-lake/
Renowned for its spectacular natural beauty, diverse variety of wildlife, and wealth of recreational activities, including world-class trout fishing, Placid Lake State Park is a must for campers who love the outdoors. Sunset, Placid Lake, Montana by Henry Mulligan / WikiCommons / CC BY-SA 4.0.
Salmon Lake State Park
Salmon Lake State Park is a public recreation area occupying 42 acres on the eastern side of Salmon Lake that provides a beautiful and tranquil setting to enjoy an array of water recreation activities.
Based 32 miles northeast of Missoula in the Clearwater River chain between the Mission and Swan Mountain ranges, Salmon Lake State Park has a family-friendly campground in a lovely woodland setting with 24 campsites.
Salmon Lake State Park also has a hike-bike campsite equipped with a bicycle rack and bicycle maintenance stand that can accommodate up to 10 tents, along with bear-resistant food lockers, fire ring, bear-resistant food lockers, and potable water, electrical outlets, and a covered shelter with picnic tables.
Recreational activities include fishing, swimming, canoeing, boating, bird-watching, kayaking, picnicking, and water-skiing.
2329 Mount Hwy 83, Seeley Lake, MT 59868, United States, Phone: +1 406-677-6804
Salmon Lake State Park is set in a lovely woodland setting 32 miles northeast of Missoula in the Clearwater River chain between the Mission and Swan Mountain ranges. Clearwater River, Montana by Bitterroot / Flickr / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
Upper Thompson Lake Campground
Stretching for over 20 miles between Kalispell and Libby and spread over 3,000 acres, Thompson Chain of Lakes State Park is an extensive area that is home to 18 lakes including Lower Thompson Lake, Middle Thompson Lake, Upper Thompson Lake, McGregor Lake, Little McGregor Lake, Horseshoe Lake, and Loon Lake.
Upper Thompson Lake Campground is set on the shores of the lake and features 83 standard campsites and eight group campsites, all of which are rustic and do not have drinking water. Amenities include a boat ramp, established fire pits, picnic tables and vault toilets, and recreational activities in the area range from camping, boating, and fishing to swimming, water skiing, and canoeing.
68 Thompsons Lake Rd, East Berne, NY 12059, United States, Phone: +1 518-872-1674
Clark Fork River at Thompson Falls, MT by Keith Ewing / Flickr / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
Wayfarers / Flathead Lake State Park
Wayfarers State Park is a public recreation area half a mile south of the charming town of Bigfork with beautiful views over Flathead Lake, including some of the best sunsets in the state. The campground has 30 campsites with sites for tents and RVs, picnic tables, fire rings, and comfort stations with coin-operated showers, vault and pit toilets, and potable water.
Amenities in the park include boat and trailer dump stations, firewood and ice sales, a group-use shelter, and a children’s playground located in the adjacent Harry Horn Park. Activities in the park range from camping, boating, and fishing to swimming, and canoeing.
8600 Mt Hwy 35, Bigfork, MT 59911, United States, Phone: +1 406-837-3041
Galena Gulch Campground
Nestled on the Boulder River near the town of Basin, which is famous for its radon health mines, the Galena Gulch Campground is a simple, grassy area with ten primary tent sites, picnic tables, established fire pits, and vault toilets.
The campsite is open year-round and boasts beautiful views of the surrounding mountains and hills, offering a tranquil getaway for camping enthusiasts and outdoor lovers. The lovely surrounding forests and rivers offer an array of activities that include fishing and swimming in the river, hiking, mountain biking, and wildlife watching.
Boulder, MT 59632, United States, Phone: 406-533-7600, http://www.blm.gov/visit/
Galena Gulch Campground offers a tranquil getaway for camping enthusiasts and outdoor-lovers on the banks of the Boulder River near the town of Basin. A section of the upper Boulder River, Montana, USA by Nathan Clement / WikiCommons / CC BY-SA 3.0.
Bozeman Hot Springs Campground
Located in a picturesque setting next to the Bozeman Hot Springs and the Gallatin River, the Bozeman Hot Springs Campground is an ideal base for those wanting to enjoy the hot springs and other activities in the area.
The campground has sites for tents and RVs with electrical and water hookups, as well as overnight cabins, modern restrooms with flushing toilets, hot showers, potable water, and coin-operated laundry services.
Campground amenities include a clubhouse, a games room, ladder golf, horseshoes, a children’s playground, and an outdoor chessboard, and activities range from hiking, mountain biking, fishing, swimming in the river, and soaking in the hot springs.
81123 Gallatin Rd, Bozeman, MT 59718, United States, Phone: +1 406-587-3030
Bozeman Hot Springs Campground is nestled in a picturesque setting next to the Bozeman Hot Springs and is a beautiful base for those wanting to enjoy the hot springs and other activities in the area. Bozeman, MT from Saddle Peak in the Bridger Mountains, Montana, USA by Dave Michael / WikiCommons / CC BY-SA 4.0.
Warm Springs Campground
Nestled along the banks of Crazy Creek at an elevation of 4,500 feet in the Bitterroot National Forest, Warm Springs Campground has 14 tent and small RV sites with picnic tables, fire rings, and vault toilets.
There are handicap-accessible restrooms with showers and potable water, laundry facilities, camping essentials, and food can be found within five miles of the campground. The surrounding forests offer excellent hiking and mountain biking, and fishing and swimming can be enjoyed in the Crazy Creek.
Conner, MT 59827, United States, http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/bitterroot/null/recarea/?recid=60384&actid=50
Warm Springs Campground is tucked on t he banks of Crazy Creek in the Bitterroot National Forest and is surrounded by breathtaking natural scenery. Along the Nez Perce National Historic Trail, Bitterroot Valley Near Florence, MT. US Forest Service photo by Roger Peterson / Flickr / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
Woodbine Campground
Tucked away in the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness in southwestern Montana, Woodbine Campground is a remote spot with plenty of shade and spectacular views of the surrounding snow-covered mountain peaks and mountain ranges.
Set on the banks of the Stillwater River at an elevation of 5,300 feet, the campground offers single and group sites, some of which are handicap accessible, along with picnic tables, campfire rings with grills, vault toilets, and drinking water.
The Stillwater River offers excellent fishing opportunities for various species of trout, and the 1.5-mile round-trip Woodbine Falls Trail is a popular hiking trail. Other activities in the area include horseback riding on the Stillwater Trail, which leads to the beautiful Sioux Charley Lake.
Nye, MT 59068, United States, Phone: +1 406-587-9054
Woodbine Campground is a remote spot set on the banks of the Stillwater River, in the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness in southwestern Montana. Sierra Creek Valley in Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness, Montana by Troy Smith / Flickr / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
Swan Lake Campground
Nestled in the heart of Flathead National Forest and surrounded by the rugged, snow-covered peaks of the Swan Mountain Range, Swan Lake Campground is a family-friendly recreation area near the village of Swan Lake that features 38 family-sized campsites and a large group site.
The campground has two loops offering both open, spacious sites and more clustered and shady options, along with paved parking areas, picnic tables, fire rings, vault toilets, and drinking water. Recreational activities include power and non-motorized boating with easy access to a boat ramp, kayaking, canoeing and paddle boarding, swimming, fishing, hiking, and mountain biking.
Swan Lake, MT 59911, United States, Phone: +1 406-886-2266
Swan Lake Campground is nestled in the heart of Flathead National Forest and surrounded by the rugged, snow-covered peaks of the Swan Mountain Range.
Rocky Gorge Campground
Rocky Gorge Campground offers camping next to the 90-mile-long Lake Koocanusa in the Kootenai National Forest. Surrounded by breathtaking forests and grassy islands, the campsite features 60 campsites for RVs and tents with picnic tables, fire rings, potable water, and vault toilets.
Some sites have tent pads, and a dock and a fully developed boat launch are available for campers to use. Recreational activities include power and non-motorized boating with easy access to a boat ramp, kayaking, canoeing and paddle boarding, swimming, fishing, hiking, and mountain biking.
MT-37, Eureka, MT 59917, United States, Phone: +1 406-296-2536
Lake Koocanusa, Kootenai National Forest, Montana by Tony Webster / Flickr / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
Home Gulch Campground
Stretching along the North Fork of the Sun River between two towering cliffs at an elevation of 4,580 feet, Home Gulch Campground features 15 shady sites overlooking the river for tents and RVs.
Sites have picnic tables, established fire pits, and grills, and there are restrooms with handicap-accessible toilets and drinking water. Activities in and around the campground include hiking, mountain biking, boating, fishing, swimming, and seasonal hunting.
The campsite is open year-round and offers a quiet getaway for camping enthusiasts, families with children, and outdoor lovers.
Choteau, MT 59422, United States, Phone: +1 406-466-5341
Catching the last of the afternoon sun on the bank of the North Fork Flathead River by U.S. Forest Service- Pacific Northwest Region / Flickr / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
Big Larch Campground
Big Larch Campground is set on the eastern shoreline of Seeley Lake and offers plenty of space for camping, picnicking, and recreation on the water.
A shady campsite has first-come, first-served basis individual sites for tent camping with tables and campfire rings with grills, and two group camping areas are available for larger groups. Accessible vault toilets and drinking water are provided, along with trash collection and recycling bins, and a day-use picnic area has access to a swimming beach, a boat ramp, and boat trailer parking.
Resting at an elevation of about 4,000 feet, the campground experiences a pleasant climate during the summer months with plenty of shade from tall larch and pine trees.
3335 Mt Hwy 83, Seeley Lake, MT 59868, United States, Phone: +1 406-677-2233
Set on the eastern shoreline of Seeley Lake, Big Larch Campground offers plenty of space for camping, picnicking, and fun water-based activities on the lake. Seeley Lake, Montana by Djembayz / WikiCommons / CC BY-SA 3.0.
Glacier Campground
Located a mile from the west entrance to Glacier National Park and surrounded by the Flathead National Forest, Glacier Campground is spread over 40 wooded acres and offers cozy, secluded wooded sites with plenty of privacy.
The campground has sites for tents, vans, trailers, and RVs with picnic tables, fire rings, restrooms with hot showers, toilets, and potable water. There is also a dump station, an on-site restaurant and general store, laundry facilities, a recreation room for rainy days, and a children’s playground.
The nearby Glacier National Park is a natural wonderland and outdoor enthusiast’s paradise, with a range of recreational activities to enjoy, from hiking, biking, mountain climbing, and wildlife watching.
12070 US-2, West Glacier, MT 59936, United States, Phone: +1 406-387-5689
Spread over 40 wooded acres of the Flathead National Forest in the Glacier National Park, Glacier Campground offers cozy, secluded wooded sites with plenty of privacy. Glacier National Park, Montana by David Broad / WikiCommons / CC BY 3.0.
Divide Bridge Campground
Resting at an elevation of 5,400 feet along the banks of the Big Hole River, the Divide Bridge Recreation Area encompasses 80 acres and is home to the Divide Bridge Campground which features 24 camping sites with picnic tables, fire rings, vault toilets, and potable water.
The area boasts spectacular natural beauty and offers an array of outdoor activities, such as hiking, mountain biking, fishing, swimming, canoeing, kayaking, and white-water rafting. Rafting guides are available during the summer season, and pets are allowed on the campsite on a leash.
74916 MT-43, Divide, MT 59727, United States, https://www.blm.gov/visit/divide-bridge-campground
Nestled on the banks of the Big Hole River, the Divide Bridge Recreation Area is surrounded by spectacular natural beauty and is an outdoor lover’s paradise with an array of outdoor activities from fishing and swimming to kayaking and white-water rafting. Big Hole River – Wise River, Montana by TravelingOtter / Flickr / CC BY-SA 3.0.
Log Gulch Campground
The Log Gulch Campground is set on the banks of Wolf Creek and features 70 campsites for RV or tent camping on grassy, flat tent camping surfaces. Campsites are primitive, without hookups, but sites have picnic tables, fire pits, and picnic tables and restrooms with toilets, showers, and potable water are accessible at various spots throughout the area.
Log Gulch Campground has a beach with an enclosed swimming area, a loading dock with a boat ramp, and two first-come, first-served docks with boat slips. Activities in the area include hiking, mountain biking, fishing, boating, and swimming.
Wolf Creek, MT 59648, United States, https://www.blm.gov/visit/log-gulch-recreation-site
The Late-winter view of the New River from the Wolf Creek Falls Trail by Greg Shine, Bureau of Land Management Oregon and Washington / Flickr / CC BY-SA 3.0.
Willow Creek Campground
Willow Creek Campground is set on the shores of Willow Creek Reservoir and is a renowned spot for world-class trout fishing. Located several miles north of Augusta along the Rocky Mountain Front, the campground has sites for tents, vans, trailers, and RVs with electric hookups, picnic tables, fire rings, and handicap-accessible restrooms with showers, and toilets.
The campground has access to the lake where there are boat ramps, docks with boat slips and moorings, and activities in the area include fishing, boating, and swimming, as well as hiking, mountain biking, and wildlife watching.
Chester, MT 59522, Phone: 406-759-5077, https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/kootenai/recarea/?recid=66082
Set on the shores of Willow Creek Reservoir, several miles north of Augusta along the Rocky Mountain Front, Willow Creek Campground is a world-renowned spot for world-class trout fishing. Castle Reef, Rocky Mountain Front, Montana by Sam Beebe / Flickr / CC BY 2.0.
Glacier National Park
Glacier National Park is a vast national park that rests on the United States-Canada border, encompassing over 1 million acres, two mountain ranges, over 130 lakes, and thousands of plant and animal species.
This natural wonderland is at the center of what is referred to as the “Crown of the Continent Ecosystem” and is an outdoor enthusiast’s paradise, with a range of recreational activities to enjoy, from hiking, biking, mountain climbing, and wildlife watching.
The Park is home to the famous Going-to-the-Sun Road, an engineering marvel that spans 50 miles through the park’s wild interior and boasts some of the most spectacular sights and views in Montana.
Glacier National Park has 13 front-country campgrounds with more than 1,000 campsites with tent and RV pull-through sites with or without hookups, bathhouses with hot showers and flushing toilets, drinking water, and dump stations. Glacier National Park is open every day of the year.
West Glacier, MT, Phone: 406-888-7800
A marmot in front of Hidden Lake and Reynolds Mountain in Glacier National Park, USA by Tobias Klenze / WikiCommons / CC BY-SA 4.0.
Hellgate Campground
Resting on the banks of the Canyon Ferry Reservoir and surrounded by the magnificent Big Belt and Elkhorns mountain ranges, Hellgate Campground and Group Use Shelter Area features 69 campsites and is the largest developed campground on the reservoir.
The campground provides a mixture of single and double campsites, as well as three group use shelter areas with electric hookups, picnic tables, fire rings, vault toilets, and potable water. Canyon Ferry Reservoir offers a wealth of year-round recreational opportunities, ranging from boating, fishing, swimming, and sailing to wind-surfing, water-skiing, canoeing, and kayaking. The lake provides ice-fishing and ice-skating in the wintertime.
Helena, MT 59602, United States, Phone: +1 406-475-3921
Surrounded by the magnificent Big Belt and Elkhorns mountain ranges on the banks of the Canyon Ferry Reservoir, Hellgate Campground is the largest developed campground on the reservoir and offers a variety of fun, outdoor activities. View of Canyon Ferry Dam near Helena, Montana from the lake by Tbennert / WikiCommons / CC BY-SA 3.0.
Holland Lake Campground
Holland Lake Campground is surrounded by the Flathead National Forest and encompasses an area of 24 acres at an elevation of 3,500 feet. Resting on the edge of the Bob Marshall Wilderness at the base of the Swan Mountain Range, the campsite features 39 designated spacious campsites spread around two loops with picnic tables, fire rings, restrooms with hot showers, toilets, and potable water.
The campground is close to the 400-acre Holland Lake, which offers boating, fishing, swimming, canoeing, and kayaking. Hiking and backcountry camping can be enjoyed in the area and the nearby Bob Marshall Wilderness.
Flathead National Forest, 200 Ranger Station Road, Bigfork, MT 59911, Phone: 406-646-1012, https://www.recreation.gov/camping/holland-lake-campground/r/campgroundDetails.do?contractCode=NRSO&parkId=75370
Surrounded by the Flathead National Forest on the edge of the Bob Marshall Wilderness at the base of the Swan Mountain Range, Holland Lake Campground is a mountaineers paradise with spectacular beauty and challenging climbs. Mountains in the Bob Marshall Wilderness, Montana by Sam Beebe – The Bob / WikiCommons / CC BY 2.0.
Langohr Springs Campground
Nestled in the picturesque Hyalite Canyon on the Bozeman Ranger District of the Gallatin National Forest, the Langohr Springs Campground is a beautiful region that offers many outdoor recreational opportunities, including fishing, hiking, and climbing.
Located 12 miles south of Bozeman, the Langohr Springs Campground offers several single-family campsites in open meadows along the banks of the Hyalite Creek and a large group site that can accommodate up to 50 people.
Sites have picnic tables, campfire rings, vault toilets, drinking water, and trash collection. Hyalite Creek provides excellent fishing and swimming, and there are many hiking trails in and around Hyalite Canyon.
Bozeman, MT 59718, United States
Langohr Springs Campground is nestled in the picturesque Hyalite Canyon on the Bozeman Ranger District of the Gallatin National Forest and offers an array of outdoor recreational opportunities, including fishing, hiking, and climbing. Hyalite Canyon Hike near Bozeman, Montana by Eric Gross / Flickr / CC BY 2.0.
Happy Camping!
Jill Miller is the founder of Your RV Lifestyle. Trading corporate America for the open road, Jill, along with her partner Jose, began their RV journey, making an unconventional start by wintering in New Jersey. A natural adventurer, she was motivated by a desire to explore the USA and beyond, embracing the varied landscapes, communities, and cultures across the country.
For Jill, the allure of RV living was not about material accumulation, but rather the pursuit of an adventurous, fulfilling lifestyle. A lover of golf, bicycling, hiking, and line dancing, she has carried her passions across the country, engaging with them in diverse settings. Jill’s commitment to the RV lifestyle came after years of careful research, numerous consultations with RV owners, and personal trials, including living in a rental RV.